A Historical and Archival Guide to Székesfehérvár (Székesfehérvár, 2003)

A SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR

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zékesfehérvár is the most populated town in Mezőföld and Fejér county. It lies on the edge of the south-western slopes of Velence-hills, at the intersection of two perpendicular cleavage slips in the southern end of Mór-valley. Its territory is part of a versified region of plains and hills and to a lesser extent of mountains. It is mostly characterised by the topography of Mezőföld. Mór-valley provides the town's favourable position, in addition Székesfehérvár is the cross-point of Transdanubian west-east bound traffic. The fortress built at the edge of Sárrét's marshland guarded the entrance of the most important road of Mór-vallev and the ford of Sárrét. The town was the distributive place for the west, north-west and south-west bound traffic of Transdanubia and the most important commercial centre of North-Mezőföld. The town is the centre of Mezőföld mezzo-region, its most significant potentiality lies in its valley-entrance position, and its geographical situation. It is an important highwav junction and from the 1860s a railway junction as well. The farming culture that moved northward from the Balkans reached and occupied the town's territory and its surrounding area in the 5

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,h millennia BC. During the Bronze age as the population grew, villages were established on the marshland islands and on riverbanks. Bartering that started in the Neolithic age took place at the intersection of natural roadways and in their surrounding area. These areas, like Székesfehérvár and its environs, became military and commercial centres. During the Iron age the Celtic Eravisc tribe inhibited the